


I Do Not Want To Be Pale Pink

by cher



Category: Empire Records (1995)
Genre: F/F, Misses Clause Challenge, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 22:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cher/pseuds/cher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gina and the Hellcats, on stage tonight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Do Not Want To Be Pale Pink

**Author's Note:**

  * For [linaerys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/linaerys/gifts).



> This is a Yuletide Treat for linaerys.
> 
> Thanks to Cedara for beta!

Gina steps on stage with a flutter of fear she hasn't felt in years. The rest of the Hellcats form up behind her, and she blinks into the stage lights, feeling more than hearing the roar of sound from the crowd.  
  
They're headlining, and Gina's been on edge all night, chain smoking like she hasn't done since they got serious with the Hellcats.  
  
Somewhere out there, in the seething, stinking, sweaty crowd is Corey.

"Hello, Arizona!" Gina yells into her mic. "I'm Gina," and she brings up her voice over Jessie's drums kicking in, "this is Jessie, Dana and Luke, and we're the Hellcats!"  
  
She has to pause for the crowd to stop its mad scream of joy, as Dana slaps out a rhythm on her bass. Tonight, she hears the crowd as if for the first time, and she thrills at the sound. Maybe one of those voices is Corey's. Would Gina still recognise it? She doesn't know.  
  
Gina flips back her hair, cocks her hip to let the slit in her short black dress show off her thigh, and launches into the opening lines of _Veto_ , their hit from last summer.  
  
 _"Well looking back, it's sometimes hell_  
 _Back then, the gang, and me and you_  
 _The years gone by and now I find_  
 _We were never more than two..."_  
  
*  
  
Corey's in her element. She's in a delerium of joy, caught up in the pounding, jagged beats the Hellcats are pumping out. She hasn't been to a good punk gig in weeks, and she's missed the frantic press of other sweaty bodies against hers, the bruised-rib feeling of a satisfying mosh pit.  
  
When she'd heard the Hellcats were playing Arizona, Corey hit up the manager of the club for a ticket immediately. He owed her a favour, anyway.  And, not having any better way to find Gina without looking like a crazed stalker - which Corey was totally willing to do, just not straight away - she sent a message to the Hellcats via the guestbook on their homepage.  
  
"You are way hotter than Rex Manning. See you in Arizona. XXX, C."  
  
There was a new message the next day, on the Hellcats' News page.  
  
"We don't usually do shoutouts to fans because you're ALL ace, but this one goes out to C in Arizona, from our own Gina:  
  
"Be at our show, or I tell J. what really happened to the listening booth that day. DRINKS AFTER."  
  
Corey was in such a good mood that day that she gave a customer's girlfriend her first tattoo for free.  
  
And now here she was, slamming to the Hellcats' punk-pop songs and hearing Gina's voice in person for the first time in three years.  
  
She sang along:  
  
" _Veto, veto, I want to use my veto_  
 _Please don't go._ "  
  
Looking up at Gina, sweaty and glowing in the stage lights, Corey threw back her hand and laughed in joy. Still so beautiful.  
  
*  
  
Gina paced the tiny hallway backstage, smoking and listening to the bangs and bumps as the roadies and the club's employees took down the last of the stage equipment.  
  
Dana punched her arm as she squeezed by. "Honey, relax. She was your best friend once, and all bullshit aside, that don't change. She'll be here."  
  
Gina blew smoke off to the side. "Sure, Dana. I know. Just, let me pace. Corey's never been late in her life. Maybe she didn't come."  
  
Dana raised her eyebrows, nodded over Gina's shoulder, and slipped down the hallway.  
  
Warm, slightly sweaty hands covered Gina's eyes, attached to someone standing behind her. The familiar scent of Corey, under cigarette smoke and the barroom smell of sweat and beer, was still recognisable. Gina spun and pulled Corey into a fierce, lingering embrace.  
  
"Gina," sighed Corey, into Gina's shoulder. "Oh, it's good to see you."  
  
Gina's butterflies were multiplying, and to her embarassment, she felt tears welling up. "Corey," she said thickly, holding on tightly with the hand that wasn't holding her smoke.  
  
Corey disengaged the hug, and pushed Gina back to look at her. "That's my best friend," she said and Corey's megawatt grin was unchanged. "Look at you. A smoking hot rockstar."  
  
"More of a punk girl," Gina said faintly. "...like you. Wow, Corey. You sure changed your style."  
  
Corey's hand went to tuck her hair behind her ear, in a nervous gesture so familiar it made Gina's heart ache. Corey didn't have long hair to tuck back, though. She had a crew cut, six piercings in her left ear, and four in her right. Her makeup, blurred from hours of dancing, was bold and dramatic. And the ripped tank top she wore showed off the full colour sleeve she'd had tattooed on her left arm.  
  
"Yeah," said Corey, looking down as if nervous. "It's kinda silly. I love my look, and I'm so happy right now, Gina, but suddenly I'm terrified you're not going to like it. Last time you saw me I was pretty, preppy little Corey off to Harvard. And now... well, here's Corey 2.0, the independently struggling tattoo artist version. What do you think?" She did a little twirl, showing another tattoo on the back of her neck, and her long, shapely legs in their ripped tights and denim shorts.  
  
Gina's eyes lingered as she came back to face her, and she took a last drag on her cigarette. "Oh, Corey. You're beautiful. You'll always be beautiful, and amazing. And I love your look."  
  
Corey's face lit up. "I," she looked down shyly, "I love your look, too."  
  
"Yeah?" Gina asked, stepping back into Corey's space. "You do? Well, want to come back to my rockstar crappy hotel room for a drink?"  
  
Corey took Gina's hand. "I'd like that."  
  
*  
  
They fell laughing onto Gina's bed, a bottle of tequila in Gina's hand.  
  
"So, where's AJ?"  
  
Corey smiled, soft and sweet. "He's great. He's so great. He married this beautiful girl, Amie, and they have a tiny little one they named Joe."  
  
Gina almost dropped the bottle. "He's _married_? I mean, sure he's married, but not ... to you?"  
  
Corey laughed. "Well ... that's another new thing. See, Gina, I love AJ, but I found out that I'm a strictly-girls-only sort of girl. He kind of hated it at first, but now he's fine. He actually works at my tattoo parlour; you should come by tomorrow. I can give you some ink if you like."  
  
Gina put the tequila down on the bedside table with the thump. "Wait, wait, wait. That was like three bombshells at once. Let me get this staight. You broke up with AJ."  
  
Corey nodded, smiling at Gina.  
  
"Okay. That happens. And then, you're gay."  
  
"Well, I'm a lesbian, actually. Yes." Corey looked like she was enjoying herself.  
  
Gina blew out her breath, her bangs flying up around her face.  
  
"And you own a tattoo parlour."  
  
"Well, I hit 21, and trust funds are good for something. I mean, fuck Harvard, Gina. That place was killing me."  
  
"Wow. Just, give me a moment." Gina leaned back against the pillows and looked at the ceiling for a bit.  
  
She shook her head. "Okay! Done processing." She rolled on her side and looked up at Corey. "So ... do you have a girlfriend?"  
  
Corey grinned. "No."  
  
Gina swallowed and licked her lips. "...do you want one?"  
  
Corey reached out a soft hand and stroked Gina's cheek. "If you're asking if I've always wanted to kiss my gorgeous best friend, the answer is yes."  
  
She leaned down. "If you're asking do I want to fuck the hottest rockstar on the planet, definitely yes." Corey had a way of speaking so sweetly that even 'fuck' sounded like an endearment.  
  
Her lips brushed Gina's. "If you're asking do I love you, Gina ..." Corey kissed her slowly and lingeringly, "... then yes, I do, and I would love to see where that takes us."  
  
Gina looked up at her wonderingly, bring a hand up to lay on Corey's cheek. "Then, okay." She closed her eyes. "Sure."  
  
She opened her eyes again, and they were full of the old sparkle. She grinned. "Last to get naked has to do a shot of tequila!"  
  
Laughing, they fell back onto the bed together.


End file.
